Securing means for license plates



Nov. 7, 1939. H. K. OWENS SECURING MEANS FOR LICENSE PLATES Filed June 15, 1939 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 SECURING MEANS FOR LKCENSE PLATES Horace Kirby Owens, Sarasota, Fla., assignor of one-third to Essanbee Holding Company, a corporation of Florida Application June 15, 1939, Serial No. 279,347

Claims.

With the increasing use of motor vehicles, license plates have assumed a position of great importance. They constitute the sole visible identifying medium between the public and the owner of the motor vehicle, and likewise form a source of large revenue to the state and municipality. Good roads and quick transportation by such vehicles provide a medium for crime which has been generally utilized by organized criminal bands. Stolen tags form an essential part of the equipment of these criminals. A tag which cannot be removed from the vehicle without either defacing the tag or destroying the securing means, the securing means carrying a part of the indicia of the tag is highly desirable in combating crime.

It has also been determined that transferring a set of plates from one vehicle to another, either in the case of'an individual or a number of persons, has resulted in a great loss of revenue to the licensing body. This practice is particularly prevalent in connection with fleets of trucks and bus lines where a certainpercentage of the vehicles are out of service during certain periods, and it is the common practice to make a survey to determine the number of trucks or buses in actual operation at one time and purchase only sufiicient plates for them, transferring the plates from one vehicle toanother according to the number in use.

These practices have resulted in substantial loss in revenue to the state.

The principal object of my invention is to supply a securing means for the usual license plate which is simple in application, and when once utilized as a securing means, cannot be removed without either defacing the tag or destroying the securing means. It is preferred to carry some indicia on the securing means, such as the year or seal of the state, so that the tag is not complete unless it carries the securing means.

Another object is to provide securing means for the plate which are independent of the plate and which may be usedeither at the top or bottom depending upon the type of bracket employed.

Still another object is to provide a securing means in which the cap is sprung over resilient fingers to lock the same in place, thus covering the removable structure and necessitating the breaking of the cap which carries a part of the indicia of the plate, thus indicating to the public and proper ofiicials that there has been tampering with the plate.

Other objects will be disclosed in the'specification and claims forming a part of this appli cation. v 1 M In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the plate in position on a bracket with securing means in place;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective of the interconnecting hollow arbor used to prevent the nut from turning and the cap from being removed.

Referring to the drawing, in which similar parts are designated by like numerals:

Numeral designates a license of the usual construction having elongated slots 5 at each corner, On the face of the tag appears numerals 6 and for the sake of illustration, the word Florida.

On the front and rear of the car there is usual-' ly a bracket 3 adapted to receive either the top or bottom of a license plate i. In some states only one license plate is used, but in most cases, a pair of plates are employed, one for the front brackets, and the other for the rear brackets. The brackets consist of upstanding members, not shown, with a cross arm 9 having elongated slots l0 adapted to coincide with the slots 5 in the license plate.

In my special securing means, I employ a nut I I, having a threaded bore l2 extending part way through the nut l l and having recesses l3 adapted to receive pins I l extending from a hollow arbor l5. Extending from the arbor l5 are lugs I6 adapted to fit beneath the edge of the cap l1 when the same is forced over the arbor l5. A bolt is is adapted to screw into the bore l2 and has a head l9 adapted to fit in a recess 20 formed in the arbor H. A coil spring 2| is positioned between the head l9 and the cap [1.

On the face of the cap 11 may be inscribed the year, seal, or other identifying indicia which makes the tag complete.

As actually used. the plate 4 will be placed on the bracket with the slots 5 in alignment with the slots ill of the bracket, the arbor l5 placed on the front side of the plate with the pins l4 extending through the slots 5 in the tag 4. The nut l i will be placed over the pins M so that the recesses 53 will receive the pins M so as to prevent turning and the bolt IE! will be inserted through the hollow arbor l5 and threaded into the nut H. The kerf 22 in the head 59 may be used for this purpose. The cap I! carrying the spring 2| will be forced over the lugs l6 carried by the arbor l5, the lugs being sufliciently resilient to be compressed as the cap is forced over the arbor l and will then spring out to fit under the inturned edge 23 of the arbor I5, locking the cap in position. The spring 2| will be sufliciently compressed to hold the cap spaced away from the bolt head l9 and prevent rattling. The same operation is repeated in regard to the second securing means used in the other slot 5 in the tag.

The tag will then be locked in position against removal except by defacing the tag or the cap I! carrying identifying indicia. In either case, attention will immediately be directed to the fact and proper ofl'icials will make the necessary investigation.

Numerous variations may doubtless be devised by persons skilled in the art without departing from the principles of my invention. 1, therefore, desire no limitations to be imposed on my invention, except such as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. Securing means for a license plate and the like, comprising a nut having a socket therein, an arbor, means between thearbor and the nut to prevent the turning of said nut, securing means extending through said arbor into said socket to hold said arbor and nut together to prevent separation, a cap extending over said securing means and arbor, locking means carried by the exterior of said arbor, said cap having a flange to receive said locking means carried by the exterior of said arbor.

2. Securing means for a license plate and the like, comprising a nut having a threaded socket therein, a hollow arbor, a bolt having a threaded shank extending through said arbor into said socket, means extending from said arbor into said nut to prevent the turning of said nut, a cap having a flange extending over said bolt and arbor, locking means carried by the outer surface of said arbor, said flange extending over said locking means to prevent the removal of said cap without defacing the same.

3. Securing means for a license plate and the like, comprising a nut having a threaded socket therein, a hollow arbor, a bolt having a threaded shank extending through said arbor into said socket, means extending from said arbor into said nut to prevent the turning of said nut, a cap having a flange extending over said bolt and arbor, resilient locking means carried by said arbor, said flange adapted to slide over said resilient means and receive the same, locking said cap against removal without defacing said cap.

4. Securing means for a license plate and the like, comprising a nut having a threaded socket therein, and recesses adjacent to said socket, a hollow arbor, pins projecting from said arbor adapted to enter said recesses to prevent the rotation of said nut, a bolt having a threaded shank extending through said arbor into said socket, resilient securing means carried by the exterior of said arbor, a cap having a curved flange adapted to fit over said resilient locking means and cover said arbor and bolt, said resilient means contracting inwardly upon the cap being forced over said-resilient means and expanding outwardly beneath said flange to lock said cap in position against removal without defacing said cap. 1

5. Securing means for a license plate and the like, comprising a nut having a threaded socket therein, and recesses adjacent to said socket, a hollow arbor, pins projecting from said arbor adapted to enter said recesses to prevent the rotation of said nut, a bolt having a threaded shank extending through said arbor into said socket, resilient securing means carried by the exterior of said arbor, a cap having a curved flange adapted to fit over said resilient locking means and cover said arbor and bolt, a spring between said cap and bolt, said resilient means contracting inwardly upon the cap being forced over said resilient means and expanding outwardly beneath said flange to lock said cap in position against removal without defacing said cap, said spring exerting pressure against the inner surface of the cap.

HORACE KIRBY OWENS. 

